Becky

You know Home Alone can be viewed as a horror movie from a certain angle? Yeah, that’s Becky, except this IS horror. Bloody, unrepentant, vicious, cathartic, gruesome horror. Becky is a 13 year old who lost her mom a year ago. Her dad has taken her on a trip to their vacation home, and invited his new girlfriend. But she escaped prisoners —neo-Nazis no less — invade on the hunt for something, and she’s fighting back. Becky is played by Lulu Wilson, and WOW, does she do a remarkable job. Becky hasn’t been able to work through her grief. She feels it, but it is ALL she feels, and it comes out as disconnected at best and rage at worst. The only time she seems to find peace is away from her dad with her dogs; other than that, she is tuned out and wallowing. She’s a brat, but she has a reason to be, and fortunately, the movie doesn’t look down on her for it. Even her dad (played by Joel McHale) never succumbs to anger at her; he knows she’s hurting and trying to be respectful. When things start falling apart with the criminals and she has to fight back, that anger comes out in shocking ways, and I do mean shocking. The violence in this movie is absolutely nuts, even for this old gore hound. More than a few moments made me wince, and a few more had my jaw on the floor. Once the action kicks in, this movie is not fucking around in the slightest. The squeamish need not apply. But the violence is also a metaphor for her anger and her trying to process her pain by, literally, taking it out on others. Lulu Wilson does such a good job showing the fire and anger and hurt and determination. She’s gonna be something. And you know who else is in this that’ll blow your mind? The leader is Kevin James, and he is unrecognizable from all the “hilarious” roles he’s played over the years. Intimidating, calculating, aingle-minded, and totally unrepentant. It makes me want to see Kevin James do more dramatic stuff. He can, and he should. There’s also some really fun editing to this movie. The beginning has this parallel sequence of events mirroring each other at the prison and Becky’s junior high. Is it contrived? Sure, but it’s no less slick and fun. And there’s a scene where Becky and the neo-Nazi talk on walkie-talkies in different parts of the forest, but the editing puts them face to face. Little stylistic flourishes like that aren’t necessary, but they give the movie some individuality. The score is also unique, using unorthodox sounds like gasps as percussion, among other odd arrangements. Again, not needed, but it gives Becky its own style. I’m not gonna say this movie is all that original, because it isn’t. But it just hit a sweet spot for me. Any time a movie can make me cover the screen with my hands, or wince and squirm in my chair, that’s doing something right. I can’t recommend it to people who can’t get past wanton and gratuitous carnage, but for those who can, Becky is a white-knuckle thriller.